SANTA CLARA – Trent Williams addressed the media Tuesday, which means he couldn’t avoid answering a question about his NFL future.
Even given the 49ers’ lengthy offseason after an underwhelming 2024 season, the star left tackle admitted he didn’t give his future much thought.
“I just feel like I do myself and my teammates a disservice if I'm looking toward the end,” Williams said after 49ers minicamp Tuesday. “I'm paid, people count on me to be here now. We got goals and aspirations as a team. I just don't think putting brain power toward that helps us get to where we want to go.
“So when it happens, it happens. I feel like one day coming in, I should know when it's getting that time. And then I do the responsible thing, and then let them know early enough so that they can make the adjustments needed.”
Williams attended part of the 49ers’ voluntary portion of the offseason for the first time in what he said feels like close to a decade. He was a full participant at minicamp Tuesday, and he added that he’s feeling good since returning from a left heel and ankle injury that sidelined him for the final seven games in 2024.
The three-time All-Pro, entering his 16th NFL season, turns 37 next month.
His goal still is to play through his age-40 season in 2028, and perhaps even beyond if he’s able. His current 49ers contract, which he signed last offseason, runs through 2026 and has no guaranteed money remaining after this season.
That, too, hasn’t crossed Williams’ mind much.
“No, it doesn’t concern me,” he said. “I'm taking everything one year at a time. If my play warrants more guaranteed [money] or a new year on a deal, then I’m here for it. If not, it’s time to sail into the sunset.
“I understand what’s going on, but I’m at the point where I’m just going day by day. Whatever happens is going to happen.”
That laid-back mentality applies to all aspects of Williams’ life. As an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and one of the league’s top offensive linemen, he doesn’t have much more to prove on the gridiron. Of course, he wants nothing more than to hoist the Lombardi Trophy as a Super Bowl champion.
And while he doesn’t want to force anything and won’t, Williams made it clear that he’ll do everything in his power to prolong his presence on the field.
“I would love to play until I'm 40,” Williams said. “I would love to make it to that special group. But if it's just not in my cards, it's not in my cards. But I'm going to do everything physically possible. I'm going to stay engaged, as you see, my first time here doing OTAs or even being at the offseason program in probably 10 years.
“So it's one of the things where I'm going to do everything possible to play as long and put a good product of football out there, and then, when it's not going my way, then I know. But I could play until I’m 41, you know, who knows? But that is a goal of mine. I'm definitely not going to retire with something left on the table.”
Kyle Shanahan has the same “day-by-day,” “year-by-year” approach with Williams, as the coach confirmed he does have those discussions with his player “every once in a while,” but it’s not something he or the team needs to know right now.
For now, Shanahan and the 49ers are just grateful for Williams’ presence.
“I think it's big. Everyone knows who Trent is, just the career he’s had, being one of the best tackles to play the game,” Shanahan said Tuesday. “So when you are a name that people have grown up watching, they want to see how you are in the building. … But I love Trent being around so people can see how much he does care about football, how much he does work at football.
“You know that by how he plays, but it's cool at his age and where he's at in his career, for people to still see what he has to do to get ready. He has to do it for himself more than anything, but anytime you have the kind of credibility that someone like Trent has earned, anytime someone gets to watch him do that and watch what he puts into it will always help other people.”
The way San Francisco's 2024 season ended still leaves a sour taste in the players' mouths.
From the highs of Super Bowl LVIII to one year later being at the bottom of the NFC West, Williams believes there are positives to take away from a lengthy offseason.
"I mean, it's two extremes, right? You go from having the shortest offseason to having the longest offseason that you could be allowed as an NFL team. One thing it was was very difficult to come back after what was kind of, I think for a lot of people, one of the most traumatic events you experience in sports just losing the Super Bowl, and the depression that comes behind that. And then only having a little bit of time before it's right back to OTAs and summer workouts and trying to put something behind you that, it took me a long time, like even into the last last season, even playing the [Kansas City] Chiefs again, I felt that, that hurt,
"So I say that to say I think this offseason could have been a blessing in disguise. We'll see. We obviously refreshed the roster and we got some younger guys. But I think in the long run it should help us having that time off."
Aside from an injury-riddled 2024 campaign and all the loss on the field, nothing compares to the pain Williams and his family endured off of it after the death of his stillborn son in late November.
Former 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward, who lost his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, after dealing with heart problems, honestly admitted that it was difficult for him to return to the Bay where so much misfortune and heartache occurred for him and his family.
For Williams, although it has been far from easy, he explained what's helped get him through it and the strength to return to the field for the 49ers.
"It’s difficult. It’s very difficult," Williams said. "But you know, my road I've traveled has always been difficult. So it's one of those things where it's the way your faith has to get you through. Because there are a lot of things that happen and humanly you don't have the answer to, you can't make sense of. So I think a lot of it is your faith. And second, it's just having the composure to know that life will throw you curveballs. And no matter how hard things get for me or how hard things get for anybody else, you can find a situation where it's worse.
"So every day, thank God for being able to have air in my lungs. I know that's not promised. And I just keep moving forward, knowing that what's in the rearview is in the rearview. It may shape who you are going forward, but I don't think you should let it linger and let it affect who you are going forward."
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